Life in Montreal. It’s intense for a member of the Montreal Canadiens. Some of that same passion extends to their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket. Rocket players play from nearby Place Bell and also face a lot of surveillance. It is a special, albeit fiery, experience. A two-part series explores the experience from both a playing and coaching perspective. Part 1 analyzes life as a Laval Rocket player.
Life has gotten a little quieter for the Laval Rocket over the past two weeks.
The outside noise around them will increase significantly this week as they return from a season-long six-game road trip. A five-game homestand opens tonight when the Utica Comets come to Place Bell. Thanks to a more than solid 4-1-1-0 performance on that road trip, the Rocket, last season’s regular-season champions, hold a six-point lead for the North Division lead.
The grind of the AHL regular season is in full swing, but the pressure and spotlight that comes with being a Montreal Canadiens prospect lifts only slightly as the team packs its bags and hits the road. Their journey started on the West Coast versus the Abbotsford Canucks, ended with an overtime win in Toronto last Saturday, and had plenty of time on the plane and bus along the way.
That trip represented a rare bit of peace for a team that plays its home games just 25 minutes away from the Bell Centre, where every game, coaching decision and roster move involving the Montreal Canadiens captures the attention of a city, a province and no small part of Canada. That investigation extends to the Rocket, which airs all 36 home games across Canada on RDS. They pack an average of 9,740 fans into Place Bell each night, a number that should only increase as the regular season enters its most intense months.
Such is life with Laval, whether as a Canadiens prospect or as one of the veterans brought in to help guide that young talent who hopes to one day skate at Bell Center.
After all, this is a team that takes its name from Hockey Hall of Fame member, Habs legend and provincial icon Maurice “Rocket” Richard when the Habs brought their AHL affiliate back to Quebec for the 2017-18 season. If anyone needed a reminder, the team wore special Richard-themed jerseys against the Manitoba Moose on Jan. 16. The Rocket are in their ninth season and Richard’s number 9 played a prominent role in the look of that special shirt. Habs organist Diane Bibaud has played Place Bell before. Richard’s younger brother, Henri, is honored with art on display at Place Bell. Play at Place Bell and the Habs’ bleu-blanc-et-rouge influence is unmistakable.
Many AHL prospects learn the professional game at least somewhat geographically removed from the NHL parent team. Not so in Montreal or Laval. All the commotion that surrounds the parental Canadiens – even on a quiet day – is just a matter of battling through the area’s infamous traffic from Place Bell. Even better, step outside Place Bell and walk across the street to Montmorency station, and it’s a short journey into the centre. Chances are, there will be a lot of people decked out in Habs merchandise on that trip, especially on a Canadiens game night.
Turn on the sports radio and it’s Habs talk. In two languages. Television brings the same scrutiny. Social media and the Habs message boards are constantly buzzing. Even when the Rocket hit the road last month, they got a reminder of how much attention will be coming their way if a goal in a Jan. 24 first-round pick game in Calgary David Reinbacher from the setup. Last week that was Rocket goalkeeper coach Marcus Marsman moving up to take on the same role with the Canadiens.
Beyond logistics, the fact that their prospects learned early how to manage life in such an intense hockey market was partly what led the Habs to bring their AHL affiliate close to home in 2017. It marked the first time since 1971 that the Canadiens would have their AHL affiliate in the Montreal area.
“[Laval] is a good introduction,” said head coach Rocket Pascal Vincent said, “because when you go to play for the Montreal Canadiens, you’re in the spotlight. I think our guys really enjoy playing in front of a sold out building. The fans love the team and it gives us energy.”
Over the years, word has grown within the AHL that Laval is a top-notch place to play. A trip to Game 7 of the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals showed the intensity of the market. The 2023 AHL All-Star Classic brought players from all 32 AHL teams to sample the market and Place Bell for an up-close look. It has also become a productive talent source for the Canadiens. Rocket players Owen Beck, Jared Davidson, Adam Engstrom, Jacob Fowler, Joshua Roy And Florian Xhekaj they have all played games with the Canadiens this season. Samuel Blais And Sam Montembeault is with the Canadiens this season after brief stints at Laval.
Laval has also proven attractive in bringing Quebec players home, close to family and friends, so they can watch them play more regularly. Repentignies Laurent Dauphinthe AHL’s leading scorer this season, returned for his second spin with the Rocket. There is Alex Belzile (Saint-Éloi), who is back for another turn with Laval. Vincent Arseneau (Québec City) and For you Bisson (Rosemère) are products from Québec. Blais moved on to the Habs after a short stint with the Rocket. After a standout performance in Abbotsford’s Calder Cup run last spring, he had no shortage of options as a free agent. But coming from Montmorency, just outside Québec City, he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to sign with the Canadiens. Now he’s in the lineup of a Canadiens team fighting for first place in the Eastern Conference well past the midpoint of the NHL season. Roy (St-Georges-de-Beauce), forward Xavier Simoneau (Saint-André-Avellin), and defend William Trudeau (Varennes) were Hab’s draft picks.
“If you have the chance to sign with you [provincial] team,” said Blais, “I think it’s an easy decision, and I’m glad I did it.”
Just like the Jeff Gorton–Kent Hughes The management regime has prioritized player development, something that has sometimes been a weak spot for the organization in the past. Instilling character leadership for those prospects has also become a priority. Together with captain Lucas Condottathe team has Bisson and Belzile each wear a letter. Plenty of other players qualify as leaders, letter or no letter.
Habs management makes it clear that it is looking for strong character, both for prospects and the veterans brought in to guide them and help them win games. All that support and attention from fans? It also comes with high expectations and scrutiny. There is no congestion in this market.
“That’s part of having a good veterans group,” Vincent said. “They lead on and off the ice because [the coaching staff has] they, what, four hours a day? [That is] Twenty hours of being alone, and the influence of our older guys is amazing.”
All that focus on the ice also extends off the ice.
“You realize pretty quickly that when you’re not at the rink, you have to behave because you’re a Montreal Canadien or a Rocket 24/7,” Vincent continued.
But a player doesn’t have to be from Laval’s home province to get what the Rocket has to offer. Goalkeeper Kaapo Kähkönen saw it up close last year when he led the Charlotte Checkers to Place Bell for the Eastern Conference Finals. He helped the Checkers to a pair of wins and opened what would ultimately be a four-game sweep, but he was struck by the building’s playoff atmosphere. As a free agent, like Blais last summer, he also opted to sign with the Canadiens.
Fowler is a promising player who could be the future number one in net for Montreal. He joined the Rocket late last season after a standout career at Boston College and then gained further experience in the tough region deep into the Calder Cup Playoffs. And when Fowler was recalled to the Habs earlier this season, it immediately made headlines.
But he is young, only 21 years old. So the Habs went with Kähkönen last July, giving Kähkönen a one-year, one-way contract. It was goalie insurance, for both the Habs and the Rocket. It was Kähkönen’s calm, even demeanor that made him perfect in a market where there can be so much outside noise for a prospect like Fowler. A rough night at the ice rink isn’t too bad. A good mentor and complement like Kähkönen can mitigate many of those distractions.
It is also a competitive environment. In the post-1967 era, the Montreal organization has won the Calder Cup five times and been a finalist four more times. Patrick Roy and Carey Price both won a Calder Cup before going on to legendary NHL careers. And these are the Habs. A chance to wear the famous CH is just one NHL recall away.
“When you sign with such a legendary organization, that opportunity doesn’t come along very often,” Kähkönen said.
This Laval team’s first-place lead could mean another protracted postseason battle well into May or June. Winning and a chance to compete for postseason success are attractive.
“It’s fun to be part of this group,” Kähkönen outlined, “and winning games is the biggest reason why I play.”
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